Fran City's Reinforcements
At three in the morning, the Sauron camp Fran City was shrouded in a chilling, oppressive atmosphere.
Inside the central command tent, the lights were blazing. Ulf rubbed his throbbing temples and slammed the battle report that had just been delivered by fast horse onto the table.
The few short lines on the parchment made him extremely agitated.
The fighting continues in Carnford, with the defenders putting up a stubborn resistance!
"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" Ulf cursed under his breath, his voice filled with impatience and contempt. "Harald personally led an army of 100,000 to besiege a tiny fortress, and it's taken him almost half a month to fail! It's a disgrace to the tribe!"
What troubled him even more was that the resentment among the soldiers of his Sparrow Corps was growing day by day.
They weren't given the lucrative opportunity to raid south; instead, they were stuck in the icy Northern Territory, wasting time with the main army and besieging the impregnable Fran City.
Seeing other corps plundering the south and returning with their spoils, while their own men were left to suffer from the cold and wind, morale among the troops was already wavering.
With Carnford's prolonged siege proving fruitless and their return date repeatedly delayed, discontent within the camp is growing louder.
Just as he was feeling agitated, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps, the neighing of warhorses, and the faint sounds of battle shouts and the explosions of muskets suddenly came from outside the tent!
"What's going on!" Ulf suddenly stood up and shouted angrily.
A messenger scrambled into the tent, his face ashen, and cried out in panic, "Corps Commander! Something terrible has happened! The garrison of Fran City... the garrison of Fran City has suddenly opened the city gates and sent out a large number of cavalry! They are attacking our forward camp!"
Ulf was startled, but his composure, honed by years of warfare, quickly suppressed his momentary panic.
Has Rochfort, that Old Fox, finally lost his patience?
Is it because Carnford is about to fall, and they're resorting to desperate measures? Or is there some other motive?
Surrounded by his guards, he strode out of the main tent.
In the dim light before dawn, a large number of Goldfinch Cavalry could be seen charging into the front-line camp of the Sparrow Corps like a whirlwind from the direction of Fran City. They brandished their sabers, set fire to tents, and pursued the hastily engaged Sauron soldier, creating chaos and panic.
However, after observing carefully, a cold smile appeared on Ulf's lips.
The Sparrow Corps lived up to its reputation as the elite of the Sauron Tribe; despite being ambushed, they reacted extremely quickly.
The Sauron Light Cavalry on both flanks began to rapidly encircle and flank the Goldfinch Cavalry, attempting to cut off their retreat.
Meanwhile, the infantry square in the center of the camp, under the officer's roar, quickly assembled, stabilized their position with a dense array of spears, and began to push forward.
The momentum of the Goldfinch Cavalry charge was quickly contained.
Sure enough, not long after, the urgent bugle call to retreat sounded from the top of Fran City walls.
Upon receiving the order, the Goldfinch Cavalry below the city did not linger in battle. They immediately turned their horses around and retreated towards the city gate like a tide.
Their movements were swift and efficient, their teamwork seamless, and they successfully withdrew back into the city before the Sauron Cavalry could complete their encirclement.
The heavy city gates slammed shut again, keeping the pursuers out.
The battlefield quickly quieted down, leaving behind only burned tents, scattered corpses, and a scene of devastation.
Upon inventory, the Sparrow Corps's losses were negligible, while the enemy left behind several well-armored cavalry corpses.
"Hmph, all bark and no bite." Ulf looked at the city walls, his brow furrowed, filled with doubt. "What tricks is that old bastard Rochfort playing? Sending out an elite cavalry just to harass us, set a few fires, and kill a few people? What good does that do him? It's pointless except to provoke me and waste his precious cavalry lives."
He absolutely refused to believe that Rochfort would do something so foolish; there must be some ulterior motive he was unaware of.
Was it a feint? A probe? Or was it a cover for some other operation?
"Give the order!" Ulf said in a deep voice, "Double the number of scouts, expand the reconnaissance area, and closely monitor the area around Fran City, especially the coastline and mountainous regions, to see if there are any other unusual movements! Report back immediately if you find anything!"
"Yes, sir!" The messenger accepted the order and left.
Standing in the cold night wind, Ulf gazed at the still silent and sturdy giant city, his doubts not only not dispelled, but growing heavier.
Rochfort... what exactly are you trying to do?
Meanwhile, on the other side of Fran City, far from the main battlefield, lies a secluded coastline.
This is the starting point of the Northern Territory Great Wall. The tall stone wall, like the tail of a dragon, stretches all the way and eventually extends into the turbulent Northern Sea, forming a natural breakwater.
By this time, the harsh winter had frozen the sea, turning the once turbulent waves into a flat and vast ice field, reflecting a cold luster in the faint light of dawn.
On this icy plain, a group of about five hundred people was moving swiftly and silently.
They were all dressed in light white camouflage clothing, carrying packs and weapons, and their steps were light and swift, leaving almost no obvious traces on the ice.
Unlike the noisy cavalrymen charging out from below the city, their actions were characterized by secrecy and decisiveness.
These men were the most elite force under Earl Rochefort, known as the "North Wind Squad".
The members are not ordinary soldiers, but elites from Fran City and its surrounding territories who possess the title of knight and have reached at least the first-level Battle Qi aura level.
Among them were even several powerful knights who had reached the third rank.
They are the Count's true trump card, the sharpest blade used to carry out the most dangerous and critical missions.
Their equipment was extremely sophisticated, but in order to reduce weight and ensure safe and rapid passage on the ice, everyone removed their heavy plate armor and wore only lined Chain Mail or leather armor.
They carried only enough food for five days, traveling light with nothing but essential weapons and climbing tools.
Their goal was to cross this frozen strait, reach the ruins of Winters Harbor on the other side, and then travel as fast as possible along the narrow Northern Territory peninsula to Carnford!
The seemingly futile attack by the Fran City Cavalry just now was actually intended to draw the attention of Ulf and the Sparrow Corps, creating an opportunity and cover for the secret departure of the "North Wind Squad"!
Sir Laurent stood at the head of the procession, taking one last look back at the blurry outline of Fran City in the distance, and further away in the direction where Carnford might be. His eyes were sharp and resolute.
"Gentlemen!" Laurent's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached every member of the team, "You all know our mission! Cross the icy sea, traverse the peninsula, and rush to Carnford's aid!"
"This road is fraught with peril! We might freeze to death on the ice, encounter the Sauron cavalry, get trapped in the peninsula's blizzards, or even arrive to find Carnford already fallen..."